Parliamentary questions
Richard Baker
2,136 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
27 Nov 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the remit, timescale and membership will be of the joint task force on higher education funding announced after the meeting between the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning and university principals on 22 November 2007.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The Joint FutureThinking Taskforce announced last week will work between now and the spring ofnext year on the issues facing the university sector in Scotland over the next 20 years. The exact remit andmembership of the Taskforce is currently being finalised …
27 Nov 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, following the meeting between the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning and university principals on 22 November 2007, what level of funding may be made available to universities for revenue expenditure in addition to the settlement announced for the sector in the spendin…
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: As the joint statementbetween the Scottish Government and Universities Scotland issued on 22 November 2007 made clear, the Cabinet will consider thepossibilities for additional funding from in-year flexibility and potentialconsequentials as and when the oppor…
27 Nov 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, following the meeting between the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning and university principals on 22 November 2007, what the earliest date is by which additional funding might be made available to universities for revenue expenditure beyond the settlement announced for…
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: As the jointstatement between the Scottish Government and Universities Scotland issued on 22 November 2007 made clear, the Cabinet will consider thepossibilities for additional funding from in-year flexibility and potentialconsequentials as and when the oppor…
26 Nov 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what consultation it has carried out with individual medical schools on the potential impact on future provision of medical teaching and training of decisions on health service redesign and the centralisation of services for major surgical procedures.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer themember to the answer to question S3W-7037 on 4 December 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions areavailable on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can befound at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa…
26 Nov 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what consultation it has carried out with the General Medical Council on the potential impact on future provision of medical teaching and training of decisions on health service redesign and the centralisation of services for major surgical procedures.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer themember to the answer to question S3W-7037 on 4 December 2007. All answers to writtenparliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the searchfacility for which can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.…
26 Nov 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration is given to future provision of medical teaching and training in decisions on health service redesign and the centralisation of services for major surgical procedures.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The key driver inany health service redesign is to improve the care and treatment available topatients. Before any decisions can be reached on any health service redesignand centralisation of services a number of important issues will be consideredincluding t…
23 Nov 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what new funding arrangements have been agreed with universities for the 2008-11 spending review period following the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning’s meeting with university principals on 22 November 2007.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: I held a veryconstructive meeting with Universities Scotland on 22 November 2007 covering a range of issues. I stated clearly toUniversities Scotland that the Cabinet remains sympathetic to the sector interms of additional funding from in-year flexibility for…
16 Nov 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what funding has been made available through the strategic spending review to invest in specific projects to widen access to further and higher education.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The government willwork closely with the funding council and institutions in the months ahead to decidehow the £5.24 billion allocated to further and higher education over the spendingreview period can be most effectively used. Decisions on investment in spec…
16 Nov 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will next increase the Young Students Bursary and by how much.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The Scottish Budgetannounced that an additional £30 million is to be invested in 2010-11 to increasebursary support and to progress the move from loans to grants.</p><p>The Scottish Governmentwill consider how best to use this money as part of the consultatio…
16 Nov 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the budget will be for the review of student support and graduate debt proposals.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: We plan to issue a consultation paper seeking theviews of stakeholders about our policy to replace the current system of studentloans with a fair and affordable system of means-tested grants. As part of thisprocess we will also seek the views of stakeholders …
16 Nov 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whom it will consult on the review of student support and graduate debt proposals.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: We plan to issue a consultation paper seeking theviews of stakeholders about our policy to replace the current system of studentloans with a fair and affordable system of means-tested grants. As part of thisprocess we will also seek the views of stakeholders …
16 Nov 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will conduct the review of student support and graduate debt proposals.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: I refer themember to the answer to question S3W-6528 on 3 December 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions areavailable on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can befound at:</p><p><ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/web…
16 Nov 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the timescale will be for the review of student support and graduate debt proposals.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: I refer themember to the answer to question S3W-6527 on 3 December 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions areavailable on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can befound at:</p><p><ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/web…
16 Nov 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the full remit will be of the review of student support and graduate debt proposals.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: We plan to issue a consultation paper seeking theviews of stakeholders about our policy to replace the current system of studentloans with a fair and affordable system of means-tested grants. As part of thisprocess we will also seek the views of stakeholders …
16 Nov 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive why the review of student support and graduate debt proposals will not begin until next year.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: We plan to issuea consultation paper seeking the views of stakeholders about our policy toreplace the current system of student loans with a fair and affordable systemof means-tested grants. As part of this process we will also seek the views ofstakeholders o…
16 Nov 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what consultation it carried out before deciding there should be a review on student support and graduate debt proposals to start in 2008.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The ScottishGovernment did not conduct a formal consultation on whether or not there shouldbe a review. Instead we plan toissue a consultation paper seeking the views of stakeholders about our policyto replace the current system of student loans with a fair a…
16 Nov 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consult students and student organisations on their reactions to its decision not to proceed with the pledge to service the existing loan debt for Scotland-domiciled graduates by meeting their annual loan repayments as long as they are resident in Scotland.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: We plan to conducta consultation next year to seek the views of stakeholders, including students andstudent organisations, on measures to tackle graduate debt.</p>
16 Nov 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive why the marine and fisheries budget is being reduced in 2010-11.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: The reduction in themarine and fisheries budget in 2010-11 reflects the profile of additional capitalbudget for Fisheries Research Services (FRS) over the three years of the SR2007period. FRS will receive an additional allocation of £2 million/£6 million/£4.3…
16 Nov 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish the details of its proposed Scottish futures trust.
Answer · John Swinney: I refer themember to the answer to question S3W-5903 on 7 November 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions areavailable on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can befound at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa…
16 Nov 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the funding for Scottish universities is relative to that of universities in England as a result of Scottish Budget: Spending Review 2007.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The Departmentfor Innovation, Universities and Skills has not yet published specific spendingplans for universities over the period of the 2007 spending review.</p>
16 Nov 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what consultation was carried out with trade unions prior to its decision not to provide the additional funding for universities requested by Universities Scotland.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: In the lead up tothe strategic spending review the government held meetings with the Universityand College Union and the Scottish TUC. University funding was covered at thesemeetings within a wider range of topics. The government also carefullyconsidered spen…
16 Nov 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has conducted any research on how not providing the additional funding for universities requested by Universities Scotland may affect commercialisation of research.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: No such research hasbeen conducted. The allocation of funding for universities is a matter for the ScottishFunding Council. We will work closely with the Scottish Funding Council and theuniversities over the coming months to determine how our investment in hi…
16 Nov 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has conducted any research on how not providing the additional funding for universities requested by Universities Scotland may affect the performance of Scottish universities in the Research Assessment Exercise.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: No such research hasbeen conducted. The performance of Scottish universities in the current ResearchAssessment Exercise (RAE) will not be affected as the research activity which underpinsRAE 2008 submissions will be completed before the start of the next Spen…
16 Nov 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how not providing the additional funding for universities requested by Universities Scotland matches the Executive’s statement about the importance of learning and skills in The Government Economic Strategy, published on 13 November 2007.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The Governmenthas provided a settlement which is affordable within considerable financialconstraints and which grows investment in our universities over the SpendingReview period. This will allow institutions to continue to make a significantcontribution to S…
16 Nov 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what research it has carried out on what impact the funding settlement in Scottish Budget: Spending Review 2007 will have on the competitiveness of universities.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The ScottishGovernment has assessed a range of information, including advice provided bythe Scottish Funding Council and the Universities Scotland Spending Review bid.</p>
16 Nov 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what consultations it engaged in prior to its decision not to award universities the level of additional funding that they requested in the strategic spending review.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: In the lead up tothe strategic spending review the Government held meetings with a number ofbodies including the Scottish Funding Council, Universities Scotland and theUniversity and College Union. Meetings were also held with principals andsenior staff from …
16 Nov 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which organisations it consulted prior to making its decision not to service the existing loan debt of Scotland-domiciled graduates by meeting their annual loan repayments as long as they are resident in Scotland.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The ScottishGovernment did not conduct a formal consultation prior to making its decisionnot to bring forward proposals for servicing the existing student loan debt inthe spending review period. This decision was made in light of there beinginsufficient parli…
16 Nov 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish any proposals it drafted to service the existing loan debt of Scotland-domiciled graduates by meeting their annual loan repayments as long as they are resident in Scotland.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: I refer the memberto the answer to question S3W-6513 on 28 November 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions are availableon the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/w…
16 Nov 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it prepared detailed proposals to service the existing loan debt of Scotland-domiciled graduates by meeting their annual loan repayments as long as they are resident in Scotland.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The Scottish Governmenthas not prepared detailed proposals but is currently examining options for servicingthis loan debt.</p><p>In <i>Principles andPriorities: The Government’s Programme for Scotland</i> the Scottish Governmentset out plans to consult to se…
12 Nov 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will conduct a consultation on the provision of competitive sport in schools.
Answer · Maureen Watt: The importance ofsport within and around the school day needs to be considered in the context of the outcome agreements between the Scottish Government and each local authority.</p><p>We will continue towork with local government, through COSLA, to develop po…